A 25-year-old man was arrested in Masbate last Sunday by police operatives of the District Special Operations Unit of Northern Police District (NPD-DSOU) for allegedly raping his brother’s stepdaughter.

The suspect was identified as “MJ,” a tricycle driver and a resident of Mobo, Masbate, his birthplace.

He was tagged as the seventh most wanted individual in the district-level for June 2025.

According to Police Staff Sergeant Honeybelle Data of NPD-DSOU, the suspect has a standing warrant of arrest for rape issued on December 2021.

"Apparently, the rape took place around 2020, when the victim was lying on her bed as the suspect hugged her, asked her to be silent, and removed her clothes.”

Data added that the victim was only 13 years old when the crime occurred.

MJ was arrested through the joint operation by the officers of the Tracker Team, local police, and the Intelligence Team of Masbate PNP.

She added that the surveillance by the police operatives took at least two months.

“We had information about the suspect through his social media because he didn’t change his name there, we also monitored him through his posts and stories,” Data added.

As of writing, the suspect is still in Masbate and is set to be transported to Manila.

MJ will face a rape case, a non-bailable crime.